Alysha Umphress News

There's everything to love in Smokey Joe's Cafe the first show of the Ogunquit Playhouse's 86th season.

Smokey Joe's Cafe is grooving across the stage, get a first look at the production below! The show is currently playing at The Ogunquit Playhouse (Bradford Kenney, Executive Artistic Director) through June 9 prior to the New York production. Performances at Stage 42 begin on Friday, July 6.

The Ogunquit Playhouse kicks off its 86th season with the all-new incarnation of the sizzling song and dance celebration Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller on stage May 16 to June 9. This exuberant production of the record breaking Broadway smash hit is directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award-nominee Josh Bergasse who will bring new life to more than 30 classic songs including 'Stand by Me,' 'I'm a Woman,' 'Hound Dog,' 'Fools Fall In Love,' 'On Broadway,' 'Yakety Yak,' 'Pearl's a Singer,' 'Treat Me Nice,' 'There Goes My Baby,' 'Love Potion #9,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' and 'Spanish Harlem.' The all-new production heads to Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street, NYC) following its Ogunquit run.

The Ogunquit Playhouse kicks off its 86th season with the all-new incarnation of the sizzling song and dance celebration Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller on stage May 16 to June 9. This exuberant production of the record breaking Broadway smash hit is directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award-nominee Josh Bergasse who will bring new life to more than 30 classic songs including 'Stand by Me,' 'I'm a Woman,' 'Hound Dog,' 'Fools Fall In Love,' 'On Broadway,' 'Yakety Yak,' 'Pearl's a Singer,' 'Treat Me Nice,' 'There Goes My Baby,' 'Love Potion #9,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' and 'Spanish Harlem.' The all-new production heads to Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street, NYC) following its Ogunquit run.

THE GREEN ROOM 42 - Broadway's newest intimate concert venue - has announced that WAYNE BRADY will join "THE SOUL SESSION," the monthly event created and hosted by Broadway's KYLE TAYLOR PARKER, as a special musical guest on Sunday, April 22 at 9:30 PM. "THE SOUL SESSION" is an evening of showtunes and pop standards reimagined into stirring R&B, jazz and soul arrangements that feature music from shows like Hairspray, West Side Story, The Color Purple, and more. The show is directed by Nathan Peck with Music Direction by Joshua Stephen Kartes. The April edition will also feature Christiani Pitts (A Bronx Tale) as special guest.

The New York-bound production of Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber & Stoller today announced the vibrant young cast who are set to reinvent the record breaking show at Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street) this summer.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the long-anticipated Broadway premiere of Beaches the Musical will have to wait until after a London run. Iris Rainer Dart, who wrote the novel on which the musical is based told ET: 'We're just listening, refining, redoing and seeing which songs work and which ones don't.' 

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band on Monday April 9th at 7 & 9:30pm. Following multiple sold out engagements, Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band returns to the Feinstein's/ 54 Below on Saturday February 20th to continue their official residence at the intimate Manhattan venue. Join Broadway bandleader Charlie Rosen (Honeymoon In Vegas, One Man, Two Guvnors, NBC's "Maya & Marty") for an evening that puts classic showtunes on display, sung by the best and brightest of Broadway's young generation of leading performers, in the timeless tradition of Big Band. A full sized jazz orchestra composed of 17 musicians play Rosen's re-imagined arrangements of an eclectic mix of tunes from Broadway's past, present, and beyond!

On Monday, February 19, the Theater People podcast welcomes Broadway favorite Adam Kantor back to the podcast. Kantor, currently co-starring as Telephone Guy in the critically acclaimed new musical THE BAND'S VISIT shares stories of how he won the role, working with the creative team on creating the role, and perfecting his character's haunting and beautiful song 'Answer Me.'

On Monday, February 5 Theater People podcast welcomes Tony winner Lea Salonga. For the episode, Salonga Talks about taking on the role of Erzule, The Goddess of Love in Michael Arden's Broadway revival of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, which is currently playing at The Circle in the Square theater on Broadway.

Cody Williams with Alysha Umphress. Stephen DeAngelis exclusively for Queens Theatre, will be presented for a limited two-performance run on February 17 at 8 pm and February 18 at 3 pm. Audiences will be treated to a romantic night with a musical score from across the spectrum of Broadway, pop, the American Songbook, and country music. Both performances will include personal stories from the cast and a lively question and answer session with the audience.  

Benefit concert and companion online fundraising drive to raise funds for efforts to fix New York State's cruel and unconstitutional abortion law. On January 22nd at 7pm, We Go High Singing Out for Reproductive Justice featuring some of Broadway's best and brightest voices takes place at The Triad Theatre on W. 72nd St in Manhattan.

Queens Theatre (Taryn Sacramone, Executive Director) will present Broadway Valentine, a concert-style revue produced by Stephen DeAngelis exclusively for Queens Theatre, located at 14 United Nations Avenue South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park for two performances only on February 17 at 8pm and February 18 at 3pm.

What good is sitting alone in your room this week? If you don't already have plans to see a Broadway show, come out to see your favorite Broadway stars in a cabaret act instead. Highlights this week include:

In addition to this on Monday January 15 at 9:30pm, KYLE TAYLOR PARKER, known for his work on BROADWAY in the original casts of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and KINKY BOOTS, and for headlining the first national tour of KINKY BOOTS, makes his Green Room 42 debut in THE SOUL SESSION, an evening of showtunes and pop standards reimagined into soul stirring arrangements. The evening will feature music from Hairspray, West Side Story The Color Purple and more.

On Monday, January 8, Theater People podcast welcome's back Broadway favorite Telly Leung. For the episode, Leung discusses recently winning the title role in Disney's ALADDIN on Broadway. He also shares stories from his recent work on IN TRANSIT and ALLEGIANCE.

This March, Ophelia Theatre Group is bringing back Lewis Flinn and Douglas Carter Beane's Broadway musical Lysistrata Jones! This will be its first New York production since Broadway. To celebrate, we're bringing you a night of Lewis Flinn's songs, performed by New York's brightest talent, with a special performance by Lewis Flinn.

On Monday, December 18 the Theater People podcast welcomes Olivier Award winner Leslie Margherita (MATILDA THE MUSICAL, DAMES AT SEA, ZORRO THE MUSICAL). On what will be the final Theater People episode of 2018, Margherita discusses WHO'S HOLIDAY, The one woman show in which she is currently starring as a grown up Cindy Lou Hoo--the character from the beloved Dr. Seuss Christmas classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Broadway actress, Jeanna de Waal (American Idiot, Kinky Boots) is using her love for theater, community, and self-expression to give back with her phenomenal program, Broadway Weekends. Made up of a team of professional Broadway actors, dancers, and musicians, this program creates a fun, fulfilling, and safe environment for people to reawaken the theatre kid within themselves - from doctors to lawyers to parents and their teenagers. Proof that anyone and everyone can get involved and uncover their true potential and passion for performing!

The fourth season of Rise Bar's RISING STAR competition continues tomorrow, Tuesday, December 5th. This week, contestants celebrate Mariah Carey!